The Qu’ran, Messianic prophecy and Christianity

Published: 26 November 2011(GMT+10)

This week features questions on Islam and Judaism. CMI’s Dr David Catchpoole
and Dr Jonathan Sarfati respond.

Wikipedia: Jayson De Leon

N.O. from Sweden writes:

Best CMI

I recently read the article ‘The Koran vs
Genesis’ by David Catchpoole,[1] and became somewhat confused by it.
I hope you can answer some questions which rose up in my head after I read the article.

Catchpoole’s article tells the story of a young woman who converted to Islam.
I have difficulties to understand the young woman’s question; she says that
‘[human] bodies are unclean!’ Is this statement based on Islamic or
Christian beliefs about the human being? It is not explained in the article. The
next sentence is also difficult to understand; ‘Why would God, who is pure,
sully himself by coming down to Earth in human form?’ After all, it is one
of the cornerstones of Christianity that Jesus became human, so what’s the
matter? How could this woman abandon the Christian faith? In my opinion, it is a
very sad story.

Another thing which I wonder about is an older letter by Derel Briarley, printed
in the Journal of Creation,[2] which mention a tribe that is described in the Koran,
and it also talk about God (of the Bible, I presume). What is that article talking
about (I have difficulties to understand)?

But, why are Muslims so hostile against Christians? By the way, you often say that
the Koran was written hundreds of years after the New Testament. How can we know
this? And, are there any other good arguments we can use to defend our faith against
attack from Muslims?

I hope your ministry can answer these questions, and help me to mature in my belief
in Christ. I wish to thank you for your homepage.[3]

I recently read the article ‘The Koran vs Genesis’ by David Catchpoole,[1]
and became somewhat confused by it. I hope you can answer some questions which rose
up in my head after I read the article. Catchpoole’s article tells the story
of a young woman who converted to Islam. I have difficulties to understand the young
woman’s question; she says that [human] bodies are unclean! Is this statement
based on Islamic or Christian beliefs about the human being? It is not explained
in the article.

The young woman was presenting a line commonly used by Muslims in the West when
talking with Christians. There’s no biblical basis for that idea; and it’s
possible that there is no basis for it in Islam, either. It’s highly likely
this is an example of the “whatever it takes” strategy employed by Muslims
(one aspect is called ‘taqiyya’) and Jehovah’s Witnesses (who
I’m told call it ‘theocratic lying’).

The next sentence is also difficult to understand; ‘Why would God, who is
pure, sully himself by coming down to Earth in human form?’. After all, it
is one of the cornerstones of Christianity that Jesus became human, so what’s
the matter? How could this woman abandon the Christian faith? In my opinion, it
is a very sad story.

Agreed.

Another thing which I wonder about is an older letter by Derel Briarley, printed
in the Journal of Creation,[2] which mention a tribe that is described
in the Koran, and it also talk about God (of the Bible, I presume). What is that
article talking about (I have difficulties to understand)?

You’re not the only one have trouble understanding what is the thrust of Mr
Briarley’s letter! In fact, some of the things in his letter are so contrary
to CMI’s position today that such would not be published in the modern Journal
of Creation! Under the editorial management at that time, letters from
correspondents reflecting a diversity of views were published as a ‘forum’,
i.e. with a view to airing various opinions on the possible Flood boundary in rock
strata, in hopes that a consensus might be achieved. To some extent the Journal
of Creation still functions somewhat as a ‘forum’ for creationists
to air their views today, whereas in Creation magazine the articles are
a much more ‘watertight’ presentation of the biblical creationist position.
Please keep that in mind whenever you are reading the Journal of Creation,
compared to Creation magazine.

But, why are muslims so hostile against Christians?

While anti-Christian sentiment is not the monopoly of Muslims … Muslims have
Koranic injunctions ‘justifying’ not only anti-Christian sentiment but
also discriminatory and even violent actions.

While anti-Christian sentiment is not the monopoly of Muslims (note the widespread
deriding of Christianity by notable atheists and people from other religions), Muslims
have Koranic injunctions ‘justifying’ not only anti-Christian sentiment
but also discriminatory and even violent actions.

By the way, you often say that the Koran was written hundreds of years after the
New Testament. How can we know this?

Lots of ways. Here’s one you could use when talking with a Muslim who might
say that today’s copies of the New Testament have been corrupted, compared
to pre-Muhammad copies: The date Muslims claim for Muhammad is clearly more recent
than the British Library’s dating of the oldest copy of the New Testament.1

And, are there any other good arguments we can use to defend our faith against attack
from Muslims?

I also want to apologise for my frequent e-mailing of questions to you. I often
have questions, and you tend to give very satisfying answers.

You’re very welcome. I hope these answers too are helpful to you.

Sincerely,

David Catchpoole

S.T. from Croatia writes:

Hello :)

First God bless you for your work and I will pray that creationism is taken more
seriously in today’s community because I believe that if we can prove that
creationism is a fact more people would accept Christianity and world would generally
be better place.

But I don’t understand something.

Why don’t Jews accept Jesus as a saviour if he fulfilled all of the prophecies
in OT?

Thank you for writing. This is quite a complex issue, since it involves personal
psychology more than evidence. Some of the excuses involve pseudo-theology (“How
can a man become God?” No, it’s
God becoming man!); “He didn’t bring peace” (He was rejected);
“Most Jews don’t believe it” (majority vote is hardly source of
truth; most Jews didn’t believe the Old Testament prophets either!).

A problem for the unbelievers is that the Messiah had to come when He did, according
to the 70 sevens prophecy of Daniel 9, and at a time before most temple records were
destroyed; now it’s impossible to prove that one is a descendant of King David.

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Comments closed

A reader’s comment

Douglas B.,United States, 5 December 2011

This message is in response to the recent Featured Article titled, “The Qu’ran, Messianic prophecy and Christianity”. I’d just like to add a comment about something I’ve noticed regarding Islam in relation to Christianity. And that is that the god of Islam (Allah) must, by Islam’s own claims, have less “integrity” in maintaining spiritual truth than the God of Christianity.

Islam claims that Allah gave certain revelations and spiritual truths to people, but then allowed them to become corrupted, necessitating the revealing of the Koran to Mohammed. (These “corruptions” are supposedly found in the Old Testament and the New Testament, especially regarding Abraham and Jesus, I take it.)

On the other hand, Christianity claims that God has kept His Word, has kept His truths pure and uncorrupted, and has done so in the Bible, consisting of both the Old and New Testaments. Christianity claims that the Old Testament is not corrupted, and that the New Testament is completely consistent with, and a continuation of, the Old Testament.

So, Islam maintains that Allah could not, or would not, keep his revelations from becoming corrupted, and that he had to “correct” the corrupted revelations by giving the Koran. Christianity, on the other hand, claims that God has never had to correct any revelations that He has given–Christianity claims that once He has given a revelation, He maintains the truth of that revelation uncorrupted, in written form, with no need for a later “corrective” revelation. A very significant, and unbridgeable, difference between Allah and God.